Ancient Civilizations Timeline - History of Writing & Literature

By cmo2901
  • 3000 BCE

    Cuneiform

    Cuneiform
    Between the years of 3500-3000 BCE, the writing system known as Cuneiform was developed in Uruk. This was a way for them to track trade and taxes.
    Photo: https://www.ancient.eu/img/r/p/750x750/93.jpg?v=1485682865
  • 3000 BCE

    Hieroglyphics

    Hieroglyphics
    Around the same time, hieroglyphics was developed in the kingdom of Egypt. This system of writing consisted of symbols representing sounds or objects. A disputed theory suggests that this writing was developed from Cuneiform.
    Photo: https://cdn.britannica.com/88/124388-050-EFAFCE59/Hieroglyphs-temple-Ombos-Egypt.jpg
  • Period: 2285 BCE to 2250 BCE

    Enheduanna

    Sargon of Akkad's daughter, Enheduanna, was a Mesopotamian priestess. She wrote hymns to Inanna, a Mesopotamian goddess, using cuneiform.
  • 2150 BCE

    Epic of Gilgamesh

    Epic of Gilgamesh
    The Epic of Gilgamesh was written somewhere around 2150 BCE. This may have been the first epic ever written.
  • 1500 BCE

    Sanskrit developed

    This Indo-European language was developed in India around 1500 BCE. Indian epics and Hindu scriptures are derived from Sanskrit.
  • 1300 BCE

    Epic of Gilgamesh preserved

    Between 1300 BCE and 1000 BCE, a Mesopotamian scribe by the name of Shin-Legi-Unninni helped to preserve as well as transmit the Epic of Gilgamesh.
  • Period: 1300 BCE to 400 BCE

    Global efforts to preserve writing

  • 800 BCE

    Homer preserves Greek literature

    Homer preserves Greek literature
    Similarly to Shin-Legi-Unninni, Homer, a Greek poet & key author of works such as Iliad and the Odyssey, helped to preserve important Greek works so that the culture of that region wouldn't be forgotten.
  • 600 BCE

    Growing importance of writing

    Ashurbanipal, an Assyrian king, collected 30,000 clay tablets in his library at the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. He wanted to ensure that the history and culture of the region he was ruling over would be preserved.
  • 400 BCE

    Mahabharata

    This Indian work preserved legends and oral tales of the region of India.